If, while reading this, you’re rushing to take off the case from your phone and you happen to find a narrow strip on its top profile, don’t panic.
No problem, quite the contrary
It looks like this. | Image by Apple
That’s the 5G mmWave antenna. It’s meant to help you with your phone’s connectivity when in crowded areas like stadiums or airports. What’s more, the mmWave standard allows you to enjoy ultra-fast download speeds, for example.
In a nutshell, 5G mmWave is the fastest type of 5G network. It uses very high radio frequencies that can deliver extremely high internet speeds, sometimes several gigabits per second.
So it’s not just for downloads, but it’s very practical when it comes to streaming and cloud gaming.
There are downsides, however. Basically, mmWave signals can’t travel too far – they only work in short distances. These waves are easily blocked by walls, buildings, trees… or even people.
Because of that, carriers need to install extra hardware in the form of numerous small antennas close together to make it work well. That is why mmWave is mostly available only in dense urban areas and not everywhere around us.
Do all iPhones have this narrow strip?
No, but don’t panic either.
If you’re missing the strip on top of your iPhone 17 Pro, it means that you’re not in the US, since iPhones with 5G mmWave antennas are primarily made for the American market.
The explanation for that is simple: the 5G mmWave standard is mainly to be found in the US. A handful of other countries like Japan and South Korea support it, but the US is the champion in mmWave adoption.
When to panic?
If you’ve bought your iPhone 17 Pro Max or 17 Pro from a US vendor, you should have that strip on top of the device.
If you don’t have it and you keep your receipts, now may be a good time to return it and ask for a device that has it.
What about the vanilla iPhone 17?
The baseline iPhone 17 model also has an mmWave antenna, but it’s hidden behind its back panel. The iPhone 17 Pro, however, has a mostly aluminum rear structure. Only a small glass section is installed there for MagSafe and wireless charging.
That means if the Pro models had the 5G mmWave antenna hidden underneath it, the signal would be deplorable. Hence, it’s on top of the device, where you don’t usually put your fingers.
